A/N: Okay, so I'd like to point out that the time jump between Seasons 1 and 2 sent me for a huge loop when trying to write the alternate plot. Basically, I thought that there was a month between when the gang war ended and when Penguin was visited by Jim, and I also thought that Bruce blew up the door in the secret passage the day after he and Alfred first found it… Then I rewatched the first episode and I felt like an idiot. I really hope that writing the previous chapter prior to me figuring this out doesn't mess up the rest of the timeline…but anyways, here's Chapter 13! Hope you enjoy!

Damned If You Do…

Bruce leaned back in one of Penguin's comfier chairs, listening in on him giving orders to a few hitmen under his regime. The kingpin finished off the meeting by telling them that "If you come back without his head in a box, I'll cut off your fingers and make you eat them." The men left quite quickly after that, and Penguin slumped down into his throne, sulking.

Gilzean, who'd previously been going through debts that people owed, continued where he'd left off. "Odgen Barker, in for 70 grand plus two months' vig, 250 and change. Says he owes Falcone, Falcone's gone, so his debt's forfeit."

Penguin smiled mirthlessly, telling Gilzean, "Well, we can't have him saying that." He turned to Tommy Bones who was seated across from Gilzean, asking him, "What if everybody started saying that? There'd be anarchy." He looked across the table at Bruce and told him, "A lesson you should learn: never allow debts to go uncollected, because if someone is unfaithful once, they're prime to be unfaithful again. Isn't that right, Butch?" Penguin added pointedly.

Gilzean nodded shamefully, keeping his eyes on the table. Another man entered the room and whispered something into Penguin's ear.

Penguin chuckled. "Oh, splendid," he said, shooing the man off. He stood from his throne and greeted, "Jim, come on in." The alarm in the back of Bruce's head went off and his body tensed, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. Jim Gordon walked into Penguin's Headquarters, a grim mask on his face. Penguin, however, either didn't notice or simply didn't care, walking right up to the cop and shaking his hand firmly. "My dear old friend," Penguin said.

"We need to talk," Gordon growled.

Penguin gave him an odd look before turning to the rest of the room and commanding, "Leave us."

Gilzean, Bones, Zsasz, and the muscle left the room. Bruce however, too interested in what was about to go down to leave, stayed put.

Gordon finally addressed him, saying, "Hey, Bruce. Moving on up, huh?"

"Trying," Bruce replied shortly.

Penguin smiled, saying, "Isn't he darling? The youth really spices up the place, huh, Jim?"

Bruce flashed Penguin a smirk.

"I need a favor," Jim finally said. "I figure you owe me one."

Penguin chuckled. "I do? I'm always happy to help you, Jim, but I-I don't recall…"

"The hospital," Jim interrupted. "I saved you from Maroni's men."

"But I was only there because you arrested me," Penguin responded.

"For attempted murder," Jim retorted with a smirk. "Remind me again why I let you go."

"Enlightened friendship," Penguin answered. "I'd call us even, but let's not quibble. I'm so happy you came to me for help, Jim. The answer is yes. Your wish is granted."

Jim suddenly looked very confused. "You don't know what it is yet."

Penguin sat back in his chair, a small smirk forming on his upper lip. "You want Loeb fired and your old job back, no?"

Gordon's jaw clenched. "Yes," he responded through gritted teeth.

Penguin nodded. "For a good friend like you, it can be done. If you're sure that's what you want."

"I'm sure," Gordon told him.

"May I ask why? Police work in Gotham is such a thankless job," Penguin said.

"Good pension," Gordon answered.

"What does Lee think?" Penguin asked. Bruce's brow shot up. That was a low blow in a game where Penguin had all but dominated.

"Who?" Gordon asked, playing dumb. Penguin looked down at him admonishingly and Jim folded, asking, "Are you gonna help me or not?"

"Relax," Penguin told him. "I already said I would help." Penguin turned to Bruce, chuckling and saying, "He is so brusque, isn't he?" He turned back to Gordon, who'd stood up and began to walk away, adding, "Thank you." Suddenly, he slammed his hand down on the table and stood, startling the whole room. Bruce shot to his feet and took a few steps backwards and Gordon froze in place. "While I think on it, perhaps there's a small favor you could do for me in return. I know how you hate to owe favors." Penguin licked his chops, knowing he had Gordon hooked. "I am having a small business dispute with a friend of mine, Odgen Barker. You have a persuasive personality. Perhaps you can talk to him?"

Gordon approached Penguin, no fear in his cold, hard eyes. "You want me to collect a debt for you?" he asked.

"I want you to prove to me that our friendship is a real one. Based on trust and equity," Penguin told the cop.

"That's fair," Gordon responded. He paused. "No," he finally answered. "Sorry. Can't help you. Congratulations on all your success." He turned back to Bruce and told him, "Be good, Bruce."

Bruce smirked up at him, shortly responding, "Always."

Gordon began to walk away and Penguin called after him, "Don't say no now, Jim. Sleep on it!" he added as the door slammed.

Penguin hummed under his breath and asked Bruce, "Do you think that went well?"

Bruce shrugged. "I think getting Gordon to do what you want isn't an easy task, but…"

"But?" Penguin asked, interested in the boy's take on things.

"Gordon's the kind of guy who'll do anything if he thinks that it'll turn out right in the end." Bruce scoffed. "Even if it means doing something bad to do good."

Penguin raised his glass of wine and toasted, "To good men."

"Here here," Bruce lulled sarcastically before turning and walking out of Penguin's presence. He certainly hadn't expected to see that when he'd woken up this morning: Gordon going to Penguin of all people for help?

Bruce swallowed the burning sensation rising in his throat. He didn't want to think about that morning. The best thing he could do was keep his mind occupied with anything other than the recurring dreams he'd been having, especially the recent ones.


Selina hastily straightened up the tables and chairs which had been pushed aside while exploring the secret room below the manor. Just as she finished, Alfred reentered the room, Jim Gordon in tow. Alfred was just apologizing for not answering the door sooner, tossing a rag to Selina to clean herself up.

Jim noticed this and pointed out, "You two are dirty. What've you been doing?"

"Cleaning the basement," Selina replied coolly. "I imagine you have something important to say?"

"Yes," Jim replied. "I've been fired from the GCPD. I won't be able to keep the promise I made to you. I wanted to apologize."

Selina nodded. "Your apology is accepted, of course, but you didn't need to walk here. A phone call would've been fine."

Alfred asked him if there was any chance for reinstatement, to which he replied, "No. Well, there is a way, but it's too ugly." Selina nodded for him to continue, and he elaborated that he would have to collect a debt for Penguin.

Selina nodded. "But you can't do that, because he's a bad man. The task would be demeaning."

"Well, yes," Jim responded.

"You were going to find my parents' killers, Selina told him, beginning to pace around the room. "You were going to fight for justice. You were going to clean up the GCPD," Selina paused, "Change Gotham."

Jim nodded. "I had hoped to do that."

Selina shrugged. "If you remain at the GCPD, you might still be able to do all of those things. But first, you have to do something ugly. And your personal honor forbids that."

"Yes," Jim replied, suddenly uncomfortable under the girl's piercing gaze.

"Are you not sacrificing the greater good for the sake of your dignity and self-esteem?" Selina paused again, carefully thinking out her next few words. "For vanity?"

"Steady on, Miss Wayne," Alfred admonished. "Manners."

"Alfred, he walked all the way here to discuss the issue. I'm just raising a question," Selina responded. "Surely, sometimes the right way is also the ugly way."

Her stinging words sent the room into an awkward silence. "Sometimes a man can't take the right way," Alfred told her. "He is dealing with all kinds of business you can't possibly understand yet because you're still a child."

Selina nodded. "Yes, Alfred, there is still a lot I don't understand yet." She turned to Gordon and said, "Please forgive me if I've offended you, Jim."

Gordon shook his head, saying, "No, no. That's okay." He started to leave, but turned and told Selina, "Be good."

Selina nodded. "Always."

Gordon scoffed. "Funny, Bruce Kyle said the exact thing to me just this morning."

"You saw Bruce?" Selina asked. It'd been a month since she'd seen him… Damn, had it really been that long?

Gordon nodded. "He works for Penguin, as does the rest of Gotham nowadays."

Selina felt a twinge of some emotion when she heard that. "Do you know how he's doing?"

Gordon shrugged. "I don't really know. You should talk to him if you get the chance. Getting into bed with Penguin is what got me here in the first place, after all."

Selina nodded and Gordon left, escorted by her butler. Maybe she'd call the number that he'd left her a month prior. She still had the note in her nightstand drawer.

That night, she laid in bed deep into the early hours of the morning, dreading the following day. She'd finally have go back to school after a year away. She hadn't liked homeschooling, but at least it was easy enough to get out of. Now she'd be locked in a classroom with other people for eight hours a day.

She sighed. Suddenly, she felt very jealous of Bruce Kyle, running across the rooftops of Gotham all free and independent-like. Meanwhile, she'd have to sit in classrooms and wear a skirt.

A plaid skirt.

She practically shuddered at the thought. Unfortunately, the morning arrived and she got dressed for her first day at Anders Preparatory Academy.


Bruce sprinted from his bedroom to the bathroom down the hall, drenched in sweat and holding his mouth shut with both hands. Not bothering to turn on the light, he keeled over the toilet and hurled into it.

That damn dream just wouldn't leave him alone and it was only getting worse. For weeks, every night he'd see the alleyway but what would happen varied night to night. Sometimes he'd see the real thing go down, other times he'd be the child and Thomas and Martha Wayne would be killed, other times a shadowy figure would descend from nowhere and protect the family, and others no one would show up and all three Waynes would die. However, this one was different. This time, he'd been the figure. He didn't see his face, since the figure always wore a cowl, but he knew it was him under the mask. The attacker had shot him while he protected the Waynes.

Bruce winced, a sharp, burning sensation emanating from where the bullet had hit him in the dream.

A light knock on the door alerted him to another presence. He looked up and saw Ted standing there with a cold washcloth in hand. He placed it around Bruce's neck and asked, "Dream again?"

Bruce nodded. Ted was the only one who knew why he kept having the stomach fits. Bruce had told him about the alleyway, and other than the Waynes and the GCPD, he was the only one who knew that he'd witnessed the crime go down. Ted probably assumed that it was just PTSD, which it probably was in part. However, Bruce knew it went a lot deeper than that.

It was three forty-five in the morning, too late for him to go back to sleep but too early for him to be awake. Bruce settled for lying on the couch, watching the news until it was societally acceptable to be out and about. Apparently there'd been a big breakout at Arkham just that afternoon. They'd already found two of the bodies of escaped inmates, Richard Sionis and Jerome Valeska. The television started to go off on what the two men had done to be sentenced to Arkham, and Bruce, getting bored, flipped the channel to the local sports network. Who gave a damn about what a few crazy's had done to get thrown into that hell hole?


Selina walked up to Anders Prep with her eyes set far ahead of her, ignoring the stares of her former classmates. Whispers broke out in the cliques as she passed, but she just kept walking with her head held high, like the whole place was beneath her.

Finally, she found her first classroom and settled into an empty desk in the back corner. Throwing in two headphones, she rested her forehead on her arms and closed her eyes for a few minutes. Her head was throbbing from getting practically no sleep and all she wanted to do was be done here and call Bruce. Maybe they could go grab a bite to eat or something fun like that? He'd probably insist to pay…

Someone tapped on her elbow and Selina looked up. The classroom was about half filled, and the majority of the students were sending odd looks back at her. The person who'd tapped on her elbow, a brown haired boy with an obnoxiously large nose, asked, "Selina Wayne right?"

Selina recognized that voice immediately. Thomas Elliot, one of the biggest douches in school. Of course she'd have to have home room with him.

"Hey Elliot," Selina replied coolly, taking out one earbud and twirling the other one around her finger.

"So, your mom and dad got killed, huh?" he asked with a sick fascination in his voice.

The room became very quiet all of a sudden. Selina had prepared for kids like this, so she wasn't fazed. She simply nodded.

"Did you see the whole thing?" he pushed. "The blood and everything?"

Selina's jaw clenched. "Yes," she responded darkly, refusing to let this arrogant brat get the better of her.

He held his hands up in surrender and said, "I'm just interested. I've never seen a real dead body." He placed both of his hands on her desk and continued, "Were there guts?"

Selina snapped. In a single motion she grabbed his left wrist, twisted him around, and slammed him face down onto the desk, pinning him as he let out a pathetic whimper. The only sounds in the room were made by the boy whose arm was about to snap and the ticking of the wall clock. Selina lowered her voice and whispered, "If you ever talk to me again, I'll make you wish that the son of a bitch who killed my parents had killed me too, understand?"

He let out a whimper of a yes, and she released him from the hold, calmly sitting back down and placing her earbuds back in.

No one said another word to her again until PE. There, a taller girl approached her and said, "Hi, I'm Tammy."

"Selina," she replied, hoping the conversation would end there.

It didn't.

Tammy continued, "We saw what happened back in homeroom and just wanted to thank you. Thomas Elliot is a dick."

"No kidding," Selina agreed with a smirk, gaining a bit of respect for the girl at her use of a cuss word. Maybe they all weren't stuck-up, rich snobs after all? "Believe me, it was my pleasure."

The other girl nodded. "Well, thanks anyways," she said before re-joining her friend group.

Selina chuckled to herself. She had definitely made an impression to say the least.

They were doing gymnastics in PE. Selina watched from the side as the other girls approached the balance beam, typically only making it a couple steps before losing their balance and jumping off. Tammy, however, made it across, along with a few of her friends. Their coach, a forty year old woman who was trying to look twenty, told Selina to go next.

She huffed and stepped forwards. She leapt from the ground onto the beam, finding her center of gravity in a crouch, and then straightening out. She took a few steps forwards with her arms out, and then dropped them, finishing the rest of the walk in a casual stroll. She dropped off the other end and turned around to see most of the other girls with their jaws on the floor. Tammy and her friends smiled at her and waved her over.

Tammy told her, "That was so good! Do you do gymnastics?" Selina shook her head and Tammy continued, "Well you should! We actually have a team here at school. You should join!"

Selina held up her hands and said, "That was probably just luck. It's really not that hard. Just tighten your core and don't look down and you'll be fine."

"Who taught you that?" one of Tammy's friends asked. She was even shorter than Selina.

"A guy I know," Selina replied nonchalantly.

"Does he go here?" the short girl asked.

Selina scoffed. "Not exactly. He's actually from the Narrows."

The girls collectively gasped. "The Narrows!" one of them exclaimed. "Isn't that the bad part of town?"

Selina shrugged. "It really isn't that bad…"

She was soon swarmed with questions about herself, ranging from how she met said boy and about her stories from the Narrows to if the boy in question was her boyfriend, which she apparently blushed at. Finally, the swarm ended when the gym coach approached the group and encouraged them to keep doing the balance beam.

She didn't know how it happened, but by the end of her first day Selina had been adopted into a friend group and been pressured into trying out for the gymnastics team.

The team was mostly made up of girls, but there were a couple of guys there too. Selina recognized most of the people, but one of the boys was noticeably new. Or at least, he was noticeably noticeable.

He had short, cropped blonde hair and grey eyes, and he was wearing a skintight leotard with gym shorts which hid none of his upper body.

Yeah, he was cute. Selina hadn't noticed him until the other girls had pointed him out, saying that he had enrolled only a few days prior to her.

The coach of the gymnastics team, a young woman who was actually around twenty, had Selina do a few different things to gauge her experience. She aced the balance beam and the parallel bars, but she landed on her butt when she tried to do a handspring on the tumbling mat.

Finally, the coach brought her out in front of the team and had her introduce herself. Most of them already knew her from years prior at Anders, but the blonde boy seemed extremely interested and listened intently to every word she said.

When she was done, the coach told them to go off into their groups. She told Selina to go over to the parallel bars with two of the boys and three of the girls.

The blonde boy was one of them. She started on the parallel bars, trying to copy what one of the girls had done but failing quite quickly. The boy approached her and said that she should probably just try and switch between bars first.

By the end of practice, she wasn't awful at the parallel bars and she'd impressed everyone with her skill at the balance beam, throwing in a cartwheel at the end just to show off. She walked out of school with the group of girls, but a voice called out after Tammy so they stopped. The four boys on the team caught up with them and started to introduce themselves. The first three boys were Ricky, Dicky, and Rafael, the contrast of which made her laugh out loud. The fourth boy, the blonde one who'd helped her out earlier, introduced himself, saying, "Hi, I'm Sterling St. Cloud."

She smiled. "I'm Selina Wayne," she replied.

He nodded. "Yeah, I know, you kind of introduced yourself already…"

The group chuckled and walked out together, Tammy, Ricky, and Dicky dominating the conversation.

For the first time in a long time, Selina finally felt accepted by someone other than Alfred, Zee, or Bruce. Suddenly, school didn't seem so scary after all.

Bruce got a call that night from Floyd, spelling out exactly what they were going to do the night of the Gala. He started to feel butterflies in his stomach, but it wasn't that he was scared. He finally had a mission that didn't involve being Penguin's errand boy. No, he wasn't scared, he was excited.

Both teens ended their respective days in much better places than they'd began, a welcomed commodity, especially when considering the dark turn that their lives were about to take.

A/N: Sorry for such a long chapter with little to no action, but I wanted to establish the themes and tones that the front half of Season 2 would be taking. Speaking of Season 2, as I was writing out the plot, I realized that there were a lot more BrucexSelina arcs than in Season 1. So, either the chapters are gonna get a lot longer, or there're gonna be a lot more chapters in Season 2 than Season 1, which is terrifying since I'm estimating that there're only about three to four more months left until Season 5 starts coming out and I'd like to be done with Season 3 by then…but I guess I can't complain since the reason I'm stressed is because I took a three month break, so…

I'd also like to thank everyone who helped and supported me through my decision between Roles Reversed and Whenever You Need Me. I'm planning on finishing Roles Reversed all the way, but I am also currently sketching out a plot line for a series based on Whenever You Need Me, which will go by a different name. It won't be coming out for a long, long time, so I'll let y'all know when I start to publish chapters so you don't miss it.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed and if you did, make sure to leave a review as your feedback is what pushes me to keep on writing. Ciao for now!

And one last thing: for those who have been requesting a story after 4x19/14/21/etc. where Selina and Bruce aren't interrupted and end up in a risqué situation, check out GothamFan78. I don't personally write Rated M content, but he does so check him out if that's what you're looking for. However, if those kinds of stories aren't what you're looking for, to put it simply: don't.